Hong Neok Woo

Antowtson 

Woo was born August 7, 1834, in Antowtson, not far from Changchow, in the district of Yanghuhsien, to a family of poor farmers. One day, while selling their products in Shanghai, Woo's father learned of a boys' school opened in that city in 1845 by Bishop William J. Boone of the American Church Mission. Determined to send his son to that school, he had him prepare in a foreign hong before entering the school at the age of 13. Two years later Woo was baptized in the school chapel, becoming one of the first generation of Chinese Christians. He was confirmed a year later.

When Commodore Perry arrived in Japan in 1852 to sign a commerce treaty, some of his ships made a side visit in 1854 to Shanghai. Woo learned of their mission to Japan when some of the officers visited the school, and asked to be among the crew as a cabin boy when they returned to America. He was accepted as a servant for Surgeon John S. Messersmith, surgeon of the Susquehanna. He was probably an eyewitness to the "opening" of Japan as such, seeing things few

Landing at the Philadelphia Naval Yard in March, 1855, he accompanied Messersmith to his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He would live nine years there, becoming a member of St. James' Episcopal Church, then under Rector Rev. Samuel Bowman. He also visited churches of other faiths, later writing of how he was appalled at what he saw in at least one other denomination's church: "The people made lots of noise and much crying over their sins and confessions. They prayed in a loud voice and sang lustily. Sometimes one would fall down on the floor and do other things which would be described as indecent in any other place. We felt very curious worshipping God not reverently."

Bowman became friendly with the young Asian, and asked him to attend the church's school. Woo, however, declined, instead saying he had forgotten his lessons from his old school and instead wanted to learn the mechanic's trade. He applied for a job at the Lancaster Locomotive Works, but as times were bad economically, did not get a job there.

The organist at St. James, Joseph Clarkson, advised Woo to learn the printer's trade instead, something that would both be useful anywhere he went, and would improve his English. He took the advice, becoming an apprentice for the Lancaster Examiner and Herald, and working there for four years before being named a journeyman. He worked there three more years before moving to the Daily Express as a pressman.

An accident at work almost cost him a finger, but he took his doctor's advice, and let it heal instead of letting it be amputated. Later he wrote of this incident, "Long afterward when I was engaged in hospital work in Shanghai, dressing wounds and caring for the injured, the sight of a wound or injury never failed to remind me of this incident and I was all the more happy relieving others.'

He became a naturalized American citizen on September 22, 1860, one of the few Chinese to become such at the time.

In June 1863, when Lee's Army of Northern Virginia began their raid into Pennsylvania, Woo felt obliged to serve his adopted land.